Job Details

This ad is expired.

Assistant Professor - Aquatic Ecology - 000912

Position Number: 4626489
Location: Cullowhee, NC
Position Type: Science - Biology

Assistant Professor - Aquatic Ecology - 000912

Western Carolina University

Department: Biology

About WCU: Western Carolina University has been named to the 2022 "Americas Best Employers by State" list by Forbes, ranking 14 out of the top 100 employers in North Carolina. Forbes has also ranked Western Carolina University in the Top 100 of Americas Best Midsize Employers for 2023. Western Carolina University is the UNC systems westernmost campus and has been consistently ranked as one of the top 15 public regional institutions in the South. WCUs main campus is nestled in a beautiful valley of the Blue Ridge Mountains, 50 miles west of Asheville. WCU is located just 25 miles from the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, one of the nations most spectacular and most visited national parks. The entire region is known for its excellent quality of life and access to outdoor activities.Employees of WCU are provided a comprehensive benefits package as well as other resources, policies and programs to ensure a happy and healthy work/life balance. Benefit eligible employees have access to dental, vision and health insurance plans - eligibility begins on the first of the month following date of hire. Retirement plan contributions begin on the eligibility date following election and include employer contributions for either a defined contribution or a defined benefit plan. Optional disability plans are also available.Also offered are free group exercise classes multiple times per week, a discounted membership to the campus recreation center, and free vaccine and booster shots offered on campus.

Position Summary: The Biology Department at Western Carolina University is seeking applications for a tenure-track, 9-month faculty position in Aquatic Ecology at the rank of Assistant Professor, beginning August 1, 2024.

The successful candidate will have research focusing on freshwater aquatic systems including the ecology and evolution of microbes, plants, and/or animals inhabiting inland fresh waters such as lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, and wetlands. We welcome research at any scale of biological organization, including molecular, organismal, population, community, and ecosystem levels. Preferred applicants will take advantage of the research opportunities found in the biologically diverse southern Appalachians. Teaching responsibilities may include introductory, upper- and graduate-level courses in ecology, evolution, biostatistics, and other courses in the candidate's specialty. An active, funded research program involving undergraduates and Master's students will be essential for success in this position.

Western Carolina University is a regional comprehensive university of the University of North Carolina System located in the southern Blue Ridge Mountains within the upper Little Tennessee River Drainage of western North Carolina about an hour drive west of Asheville, NC. The Biology Department is in a new state-of-the-art science building that also houses the Chemistry and Physics Department. Physical resources include a greenhouse, herbarium, ecological, physiological and field sampling instrumentation, molecular biology instrumentation, and a new aquatics lab. Field research and teaching at WCU benefits from access to the university's field station, Highlands Biological Station, and by the campus' proximity to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests, Coweeta Hydrologic Lab, and other USDA Forest Service Labs. Review of applications will begin on or about November 15, 2023 and continue until a candidate has been selected.
WCU embraces its role as a regionally engaged university and is designated by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a community engaged university. Candidates are expected to demonstrate a commitment to public engagement through their teaching, service, and scholarship.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required for this position:

Minimum Qualifications: Applicants must have a Ph.D. in Biology or a related field, a record of scholarly productivity, and the expectation of continued scholarship.

Preferred Qualifications: Applicants should have postdoctoral research, a solid background in biostatistics, and teaching and/or work experience that actively engages undergraduate and graduate students. Applicants with teaching experience at the undergraduate level and who demonstrate research projects/products that actively engage undergraduate and graduate students will be given preference.

Position Type: Permanent Full-Time

Special Instructions to Applicants: Application materials must be submitted online. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until a candidate has been selected for hire. Please include the following: Cover Letter/Letter of Application Curriculum Vitae Research Statement Teaching Statement Unofficial Transcripts List of three professional references including name, title, email address and contact number For questions or additional information please contact Jeremy Hyman at jhyman@email.wcu.edu

AA/EOE
Western Carolina University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race; color; religion; sex; sexual orientation; gender identity or expression; national origin; age; disability; genetic information; political affiliation; National Guard or veteran status, consistent with applicable federal, state and local laws, regulations, and policies, and the policies of The University of North Carolina. Additionally, the University promotes the realization of equal employment opportunity for minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and veterans through its affirmative action program. Persons with disabilities requiring accommodations in the application and interview process please call (828) 227-7218 or email at jobs@email.wcu.edu.

University Safety
The Western Carolina University Annual Safety Report is available online at University Annual Safety Report or in hard-copy by request at the office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, 227 HFR Administration Building, Cullowhee, NC 28723 (828-227-7147) or the Office of University Police, 111 Camp Annex, Cullowhee, NC 28723 (828-227-7301). The report, required of all universities participating in Title IV student financial aid programs, discusses crime statistics, procedures for reporting suspicious or criminal activity, security, police authority, crime prevention strategies, university policies on substance abuse and sexual offenses, workplace violence and fire safety.

To apply, please visit: https://jobs.wcu.edu/postings/25535